US3587159A - Wire grip extractor tool - Google Patents

Abstract

A WIRE GRIP EXTRACTOR TOOL FOR EFFECTING MANUAL RELEASE AND EXTRACTION OF A SELECTED ELECTRICAL CONDUDTOR WIRE AND ATTACHED PIN OR SOCKET CONTACTOR FROM AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR PART OF CONVENTIONAL TYPE MATING CONNECTORS SUCH AS DISCLOSED INA U.S. PAT. NO. 3,404,362 GRANTED OCT. 1, 1968 TO DINO AMENDOLA, AND ASSIGNED TO THE BENDIX CORPORATION, ASSIGNEE OF THE PRESENT INVENTION. EACH OF THE MATING CONNECTTORS MAY INCLUDE AN INSULATING BLOCK MEMBER IN WHICH MAY BE POSITIONED IN SUITABLE CHANNELS THE CONTACTOR PINS, WHILE IN AN INSULATING BLOCK MEMBER OF THE OTHER CONNECTOR THERE MAY BE POSITIONED IN OTHER CHANNELS ELECTRICAL SOCKET CONTACTORS ARRANGED IN A MATING RELATION WITH THE CONTACTOR PINS. THE MATING ELECTRICAL CONTACTORS OF THE RDSSPECTIVE CONNECTORS MAY BE FASTENED AND WIRED IN LARGE BOX-TYPE CONTAINERS INCLUDING THOUSANDS OF SUCH ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS, WITH ATTENDANT PRINTED CIRCUIT CARDS. EACH OF THE ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR WIRES AND ATTACHED CONTACTOR PINS OR SOCKETS ARE SELECTIVELY POSITIONED IN THE RESPECTIVE INSULATING BLOCK MEMBERS SO AS TO SELECTIVELY MAKE ELECTRICAL CONNECTION IN A PREDETERMINED MATING RELATION BETWEEN CORRESPONDING CONTACTOR PINS AND SOCKETS. REMOVAL OF THE ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR WIRES WITH THE ATTACHED CONTACTOR PINS OR SOCKETS HAVE RAISED PROBLEMS IN THE DISASSEMBLY THEREOF FROM THE INSULATING BLOCK MEMBERS OF SUCH ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS WHICH THE PRESENT INVENTION SEEKS TO OVERCOME BY THE PROVISION OF A SIMPLE MANUALLY OPERABLE TOOL FOR EFFECTING RELEASE AND REMOVAL OF BOTH CONTACTOR PINS AND SOCKETS WITH THE ATTACHED CONDUCTOR WIRES FROM THE RESPECTIVE INSULATING BLOCK MEMBERS OF THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS.

Description

United States Patent [72] Inventor John T. Dunkow Bellerose, N.Y.

[2]] Appl. No. 799,771

[22] Filed Feb. 17, 1969 [45] Patented June 28, 1971 [73] Assignee The Bendix Corporation. Teterboro. NJ.

[54] WIRE GRIP EXTRACTOR TOOL 1 Claim, 13 Drawing Figs.

Primary Examiner-Andrew R. Juhasz Assistant Examiner-F. R. Bilinsky Attarney Plante, I-Iartz, Smith & Thompson ABSTRACT: A wire grip extractor tool for effecting manual release and extraction of a selected electrical conductor wire and attached pin or socket contactor from an electrical connector part of conventional type mating connectors such as disclosed in a US. Pat. No. 3,404,362 granted Oct. 1, 1968 to Dino Amendola, and assigned to The Bendix Corporation, assignee of the present invention. Each of the mating connectors may include an insulating block member in which may be positioned in suitable channels the contactor pins, while in an insulating block member of the other connector there may be positioned in other channels electrical socket contactors arranged in a mating relation with the contactor pins. The mating electrical contactors of the respective connectors may be fastened and wired in large box-type containers including thousands of such electrical connectors, with attendant printed circuit cards. Each of the electrical conductor wires and attached contactor pins or sockets are selectively positioned in the respective insulating block members so as to selectively make electrical connection in a predetermined mating relation between corresponding contactor pins and sockets. Removal of the electrical conductor wires with the attached contactor pins or sockets have raised problems in the disassembly thereof from the insulating block members of such electrical connectors which the present invention seeks to overcome by the provision of a simple manually operable tool for effecting release and removal of both contactor pins and sockets with the attached conductor wires from the respective insulating block members of the electrical connectors.

PATENTEUJUN28I9T1 I 3587.159

66 I oooooooo l 0000000000 0000000000 6/ INVENTOR Z5 John T Dunkow- 7 BY Y ATTORNEY WIRE GRIP EXTRACTOR TOOL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to a field of extraction tools for effecting removal of wire conductors and attached contactor pins and sockets of the mating type releasably locked in a conventional manner in cooperating plug and receptacle parts of an electrical connector.

2. Prior Art of the Invention Heretofore in conventional-type mating connectors, such as disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,404,362, electrical conductor wires and attached contactor pins or sockets locked in the connectors have been extracted by use of a conventional manually operable tweezer-type device which in operation has been found to require considerable manual skill and dexterity, in a time-consuming operation with high breakage loss. and which the simple device of the present invention effectively avoids.

The extractor tool of the present invention provides a segmental tubular member or actuating member including resilient sidewall portions defining a channel to receive and secure between the resilient sidewall portions the conductor wire and an end portion of an attached contactor pin or plug and to effectively release and then remove the same from the connector. While no patents have been located showing the specific detail structure of the segmental tubular member or actuating member of the present invention, it is noted that U.S. Pat. No. 2,294,542, granted Sept. 1, 1942, to Mike Chulick and John Chulick and U.S. Pat. No. 2,869,917, granted Jan. 20, 1959, to Paul N. Beauchamp both disclose receiving heads tilted to grip an inserted plug in an somewhat different arrangement and for an entirely different purpose from that of the extractor tool and method of the present invention.

Moreover, while a U.S. Pat. No. 2,645,956, granted July 21, 1953, to Robert F. Black, Jr. and Bernard T. Lapsley disclose a device in which a wire may be deformed or bent to facilitate pulling or extraction, the device of this patent also relates to an entirely different arrangement and purpose from that of the present invention.

There is no suggestion in the aforenoted patents of the simplified structural arrangement of the segmental tubular member or actuating member of the present invention which is of that class of worthy and sustainable inventions, whereby adding a new idea and a new feature in assembling older features in a given mechanism an improved result is reached with less expense.

Moreover, the present invention rests in a conception which simplifies the structure of the prior tweezer-type extraction device by the provision of a segmental tubular member or actuating member to be slidably positioned longitudinally in a channel of an electrical connector so as to resiliently grip therein between resilient sidewall portions an electrical wire conductor and an attached end portion of the contactor, while upon the actuating member being pivoted in a second arcuate sense a spring-locking detent in the connector may be so actuated as to release the contactor from a locked relation in the connector, and thereafter upon the segmental tubular member or actuating member being slidably positioned longitudinally in an opposite third sense a wire grip head element permits the operator to apply a force to the electrical wire conductor and there through to the released contactor gripped in the segmental tubular member so to effect extraction thereof from the electrical connector.

There is no suggestion in the references cited of the aforenoted novel idea of means for effecting the extraction of an electrical conductor wire and attached contactor pin or socket from an electrical connector part as provided in the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a simplified wire grip extractor tool for use in effecting manual release and extraction of selected electrical conductor wires and attached pins and sockets from an electrical connector part, and particularly in the provision of improvements over a tweezer-type extraction device such as heretofore used. Such conventional-type tweezer device required more time and dexterity and manual skill in the operation thereof with greater breakage loss than that of the improved simplified wire grip extractor tool of the present invention.

An object of the invention is to provide an extractor tool including a segmental tubular member or actuator member to be slidably positioned by an operator in a selected channel of an electrical connector in a first longitudinal sense, the member being so constructed as to resiliently grip therein an electrical wire conductor and an attached end portion of a contactor in the selected channel, the actuator member being thereafter pivotally positioned in a second sense by the operator so as to actuate a spring-locking detent provided in the electrical connector to release the contactor from a locked relation with detent in the connector, and the actuator member being thereafter positioned in an opposite third longitudinal sense by an operator-operative head portion or element including wire-gripping means to effectively grip the electrical wire conductor and apply a force to the wire to extract the released contactor resiliently gripped in the actuator member from the electrical connector.

Another object of the invention is to provide in such an extractor tool a head portion or element from which projects the segmental tubular member or actuator member, the head element being so arranged thata portion of the selected wire conductor may be bent by the operator over the head element so as to permit the operator to grip the conductor wire therein, whereupon the contactor attached to the conductor wire may be effectively extracted from the connector by the operator applying a longitudinal force through the head element and wire gripped therein to the contactor.

Another object of the invention is to so arrange the extractor tool that the head portion or element may be manually operable to longitudinally position the segmental tubular member of actuator member in a first sense fully into a channel of the electrical connector, said head element being thereafter pivotally positioned'so as to rotate the actuator member in the channel in a second sense to actuate a locking spring detent in the electrical connector so as to release a contactor from a locking relation with the detent in the connector. and thereafter the head element being manually operable so as to longitudinally position said actuator member and apply a pull through the wire conductor in an opposite third sense to the contactor connected thereto so as to effectively extract the released contactor and wire conductor from the electrical connector.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a surface of the head portion or element of the aforenoted extractor tool a groove for receiving the wire conductor upon the same being bent by the operator over the surface of the head element so as to facilitate a gripping of the wire conductor by the operator to efi'ect extraction from the connector of the wire conductor and the released contactor upon the operator applying a longitudinal pull to the wire and actuator member attached to the head portion is said third sense.

Another object of invention is to provide a simplified wire grip extractor tool including novel means for actuating a detent spring for releasing the contactor pin or socket from a locked relation in a plug or receptacle part of an electrical connector, while simultaneously gripping an end portion of the contactor pin or socket together with the attached electrical conductor wire so as to permit removal thereof from the connector by the operator applying a force through the gripped conductor wire and withdrawing the extractor tool from the connector with the contactor pin or socket together with the attached conductor wire in the grip of the tool.

Another object of the invention is to provide a segmental tubular gripping member or actuating member projecting from a head portion of the tool and over which the conductor wire may be bent by the operator to grip a portion of the wire so that the wire together with the contactor pin or socket gripped by the tubular member may be removed from the electrical connector upon a suitable force being applied to the head portion by the operator.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved means for effectively releasing and extracting contactor pins and sockets together with attached conductor wires from an electrical connector of conventional type without the attendant breakage and excessive loss of time heretofore encountered in the use of the prior tweezer-type extractor.

These and other objects and features of the invention are pointed out in the following description in terms of the embodiments thereof which are shown in the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings in which corresponding parts have been indicated by corresponding numerals.

FIG. 1 is a side view, partly in section, of an electrical plug connector of conventional type showing in the partial section a portion of an electrical socket contactor positioned in an insulator portion of the plug connector.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the socket side of the electrical connector of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary side view of an electrical socket contactor of FIG. 1, showing a typical locking spring detent finger in a locking relation with the socket contactor and an end portion of the segmental tubular member of the extractor tool shown in a channel of the connector in a position approaching an operative engagement to actuate the locking spring detent finger so as to release the spring detent finger from a locking relation with the contactor.

FIG. 4 is a side view, partly in section, of an electrical receptacle connector of conventional type showing in the partial section a portion of a contactor pin positioned in an insulator portion of the receptacle connector and arranged to be received in a corresponding socket contactor of the electrical plug connector of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the electrical receptacle connector of FIG. 4, showing the several electrical pin contactors.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary side view ofa pin contactor of FIG. 5, showing a typical locking spring detent finger similar to that shown in FIG. 3 in a locking relation with the pin contactor and an end portion of the segmented tubular member of the extractor tool shown in a channel of the connector in a position approaching an operative engagement to actuate the locking spring detent finger so as to release the spring detent finger from a locking relation with the contactor.

FIG. 7 is a front view of a wire grip extractor tool embodying the present invention.

FIG. 8 is an end view of the tool showing the segmental tubular actuator member of FIG. 7 taken along the lines 84 of FIG. 7 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 9 is a side view of the extractor tool of FIG. 7 taken along the lines 9-9 of FIG. 7 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 10 is a back view of the extractor tool of FIG. 9 taken along the lines 10-10 of FIG. 9 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 11 is an opposite end view of the tool from FIG. 8, taken along the lines 11-11 of FIG. 10, and looking in direction of the arrows so as to show a wire-gripping channel in a surface of the head portion or element of the tool.

FIG. 12 is a side view of the electrical plug connector of FIG. 1 shown in an inverted relation and positioned between two clamping elements. with portions of the plug connector broken away so as to show the segmental tubular actuator member of the wire grip extractor tool of the present invention inserted in a channel of the connector with resilient sidewall portions of the actuator member shown in gripping relation with a portion of the conductor wire and an end portion of the socket contactor, an inner end portion of the actuator member is further shown positioned so as to bias a spring detent finger into a position releasing the socket contactor from a locking relation, while the head portion element of the tool is shown in a wire gripping relation with an exterior portion of the wire so that the operator may effect a subsequent extraction of the socket contactor and attached wire from the channel of the connector.

FIG. I3 is a side view of the electrical receptacle connector of FIG. 4 shown in an inverted relation and positioned between two clamping elements, with portions of the receptacle connector broken away so as to show the segmental tubular actuator member of the wire grip extractor too. present invention inserted in a channel of the conneclof umfi resilient sidewall portions of the actuator member shown in gripping relation with a portion of the conductor wire and an end portion of the pin contactor, an inner end portion of the actuator member is further shown positioned so as to bias a spring detent finger into a position releasing the pin contactor from a locking relation, while the head portion or element of the tool is shown in a wire gripping relation with an exterior portion of the wire so that the operator may effect a subsequent extraction of the pin contactor and attached wire from the channel of the connector.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to the drawings of FIGS. 7- I1 inclusive, the wire grip extractor tool I4 of the present invention is shown in detail as including a rectangular block providing a head portion or element 15 from which there projects from a first surface of the block a segmental tubular actuator member 17 having formed therein a first longitudinal channel 19 defined by resilient sidewall portions 23. The head portion or element 15 has formed in a second side surface of the rectangular block a second longitudinal channel 25 extending in longitudinal alignment with the first channel 19 and opening at one end into the channel 19 defined by the sidewall portions 23. An opposite end of the second channel 25 in the head element 15 opens into a third channel 27 formed in a third operator bearing surface 16 of the rectangular block of the head element l5 and said third channel 27 extends in a right angular relation to the second channel 25 and across the head element 15, as shown in FIGS. 7, 9 and II.

The wire grip extractor tool 14, described with reference to FIGS. 7-1I, is particularly adapted for use in the extraction of a selected electrical conductor wire and attached electrical contactor from an electrical connector part which may be a plug connector of a type indicated by numeral 30 of FIGS. 1, 2 and 12 or a receptacle connector of a type indicated by numeral 32 of FIGS. 4, 5 and 13 for receiving the plug connector 30 and electrical pin and socket contactors in mating relation in a conventional manner.

Referring to the plug connector 30, it will be seen that, as shown by FIGS. 3 and 12, the same may include a plurality of channels 34 extending through on electrical insulator base member 37. Inserted in a portion 35 of each channel 34, as best shown in detail by FIG. 3, is a tubular socket portion 41 of an electrical contactor 42. The socket portion 41 is positioned in slidable relation in the portion 35 of the channel 34. The electrical contactor 42 includes a part 43 positioned in spaced relation in another portion 44 of the channel 34. The channel portion 44 has a diameter greater than that of the diameter of the portion 35 of the channel 34. The contactor portion 41 and part 43 may be of equal diameter.

Furthermore. formed on the contactor 42 intermediate the socket portion 4] and the contactor part 43 and integral with the socket portion 41 and the part 43 is an annular flange 45 having a diameter greater than that of the diameter of the portion 4] and part 43 of the contactor 42 as well as the portion 35 of the channel 34. The diameter of the flange 45, however,

is slightly less than that of the diameter of the portion 44 of the channel 34 so as to permit the flange 45 to be longitudinally positioned by the operator there through.

An annular locking channel 47 is provided in the contactor part 43 adjacent to the flange 45. The locking channel 47 is adapted to receive therein in locking relation end portions of spring fingers 51, one of which is shown by FIG. 3 as projecting inwardly from a tubular spring detent device 53 of conventional type mounted in an annular recess 55 formed in the channel 34 intermediate the channel portions 35 and 44 of the channel 34, as shown by FIG. 3.

The contactor part 43 has fastened therein at 57 by solder or other suitable fastening means an end portion of a flexible electrical conductor wire 59 while another portion of the wire 59 may bear an electrical insulating coating 61 of a suitable resilient plastic material such as rubber. The electrical contactor 42 is adapted to be inserted by an operator into the channel 34 with an open end 60 of the socket portion 41 being first inserted through an opening 62 to the portion 44 of the channel 34 and there through into the tubular detent spring device 53 and through the portion 35 of the channel 34 with the open end portion 60 of the socket portion 41 being positioned adjacent shoulder portions 64 defining an opening 66 in the base member 37 of the plug connector 30.

The electrical contactor 42 may then be locked in the lastmentioned position, shown by FIG. 3, by end portions of suitable spring fingers 51 of the tubular spring detent device 53 locking in the annular channel 47 provided in the contactor part 43 so as to prevent an inadvertent withdrawal of the contactor 42 from the channel 34 in the base member 37.

Referring now to the receptacle connector 32, it will be seen that, as shown by FIGS. 5, 6 and 13, the same may include a plurality of channels 34A extending through an electrical insulator base member 37A. Inserted through an open end portion 35A of each channel, as best shown in detail by FIG. 3 is a pin 4IA ofan electrical contactor 42A.

Further projecting from the base member 37A is a wall 38 which surrounds the projecting pins 41A, as shown by FIGS. 4 and 5. The receptacle connector 32 is adapted to receive within the wall 38 the plug connector 30 with the projecting pins 41A of the receptacle connector 32 being received in corresponding tubular socket portions of the plug connector 30 in electrical contact-engaging relation.

Corresponding parts to those heretofore described with reference to FIG. 3 are indicated by corresponding numerals with the suffix A in FIG. 6 and further explanation thereof is not deemed necessary.

Similarly in effecting the withdrawal of the socket contactor 42 of FIG. 3 and the pin contactor 42A of FIG. 6, the wire grip extractor tool 14 described with reference to FIGS. 7-11 effects a similar mode of operation.

Thus, as shown by FIGS. 3 and 12, the segmental tubular member 17 of the tool 14 may be inserted in the opening 62 to the portion 44 of the selected channel 34 in the base member 37, as shown by FIG. 3, so as to slidably grip between the resilient sidewall portions 23 defining the channel 19, a por tion of the resilient plastic electrical insulating coating 61 carried by the flexible electrical conductor wire 59.

The segmental tubular member I7 is then slidably positioned by the operator along the insulating coating 61 and on to an end portion of the part 43 of the contactor 42, as shown by FIG. 3, until an inner end portion of the segmental tubular member 17 abuts the annular flange 45.

Thereupon the sidewalls 23 of the segmental tubular member 17 may be angularly positioned by an appropriate manual manipulation or turning of the head portion 15 of the tool 14 to pivot the inner end portions of the sidewalls 23 so as to actuate the end portions of the spring fingers 51 out of a locking relation in the annular locking channel 47 and thereupon free the contactor 42 for withdrawal.

The flexible conductor wire 59 having the insulating coating 61, as illustrated by FIG. 12, may be then bent over the head portion 15 by the operator so as to be received in the channel 27 provided in the head portion 15, as shown by FIGS. 7, II and 12. The second and third channels 25 and 27 are so arranged that the portions of the wire 59, as thus bent, may be effectively gripped at the third operator bearing surface 16 of the head portion 15 by the hand of the operator, while an end portion of the contactor part 43 as well as a portion of the insulating coating carried by the wire 59 is gripped in the channel 19 of the segmental tubular actuator member 17 by the resilient sidewall portions 23 so that the operator may thereupon apply a force through the rectangular block of the head portion 15 on the wire 59 gripped in the channel 27 so as to apply through the wire 59 a force to pull the contactor 42 longitudinally out of the connector part 37.

The head portion 15 and channel 27, thus provides a convenient wire grip means for use by the operator whereby upon the extractor tool I4 being longitudinally withdrawn by the operator from the channel 34, there may be applied a force to the wire 59 causing the contactor part 43 gripped between the resilient sidewalls 23 defining the channel I9 in the segmental tubular actuator member 17 to be slidably withdrawn from the channel 34 along with the actuator member 17 and out of the portion 44 of the channel 34 together with the conductor wire 59 attached to the contactor part 43 as well as the plastic insulating coating 61 carried by the wire 59 gripped in the channel 19 between the resilient wall portions 23 of the actuator member 17. Simultaneously the socket portion 41 of the contactor 42 will also be drawn from the channel portion 35, while the annular flange 45, now released from a locking relation with the detent spring fingers 5|, will be drawn through the tubular spring detent device 53 and channel portion 44 together with the socket portion 4] to the exterior.

A similar extraction action is effected by the tool 14 upon the segmental tubular actuator member I7 thereof being inserted in the opening 62A to the portion 44A of the selected channel 34A in the base member 37A, as shown by FIG. 6, so as to grip between the resilient sidewalls 23 of the channel 19, the resilient plastic electrical insulating coating 61A carried by the flexible electrical conductor wire 59A.

The segmental tubular actuator member 17 is then slidably positioned by the operator along the insulating coating 61 and onto an end portion of the contactor part 43A, until the inner end of the segmental tubular actuator member 17 abuts the annular flange 45A. The annular flange 45A is intermediate the contactor part 43A and the contactor pin 41A and formed integral with the pin 41A and contactor part 43A.

Thereupon the sidewall portions 23 of the segmental tubular actuator member 17 may be angularly positioned by appropriate manual arcuate or turning manipulation of the head portion or element 15 of the tool 14 so as to cause inner ends of the wall portions 23 to actuate end portions of the detent spring fingers 51A out of a locking relation in the annular locking channel 47A and thereupon free the contactor 42A for withdrawal from the channel 34A.

Moreover, by the operator bending the conductor wire 59A attached to the contactor part 43A over the head portion or element 15 so as to be received in the channel 27, as shown by FIG. 13, there may be effected a wire-gripping action by which the operator may apply a force by one or both hands to the head portion or element 15 and thereby to the wire 59A gripped at the head portion 15 to cause the contactor part 43A to be withdrawn from the connector part 37A.

Thus the contactor part 43A gripped between the resilient sidewall portions 23 defining the channel 19 of the segmental tubular actuator member 17 will be slidably withdrawn longitudinally out of the portion 44A of the channel 34A, together with the contactor wire 59A and plastic insulating coating 61A resiliently gripped in the channel 19 of the segmental tubular actuator member 17. Simultaneously, the contactor pin 41A of the contactor 42A will be drawn from the channel portion 35A of the connector 37A. Also the annular flange 45A, now released from a locking relation with the detent spring fingers SlA, may be drawn through the tubular spring detent device 53A and channel portion 44A, together with the contactor pin 41A to the exterior through the wire grip action of the head portion and channel 27 under the manual force applied by the operator to the head portion 15.

Thus, 'the wire grip extractor tool 14 and method of the present invention may be applied in the selective extraction of pin and socket contactors from electrical connector parts of conventional type by a simple manual manipulation of the tool 14 which effects a release of a spring detent locking the contactor in the connector part and in addition facilitates by a wire gripping action an extraction of selected contactors from the connector part without breakage of the contactor parts or the attached electrical conductor wire and without loss of time or great expense.

Although two applications of the invention have been illustrated and described, various changes in the form and relative arrangements of the parts, which will now appear to those skilled in the art may be made without departing from the scope of the invention,

I claim:

1. For use in extracting from an electrical connector, a wire conductor and a contactor attached to the wire conductor, the connector having a channel therein and the contactor being held in a locked relation in the channel of the connector by a spring detent; an extractor tool comprising a segmental tubular actuating member having resilient arcuate sidewall portions defining a first longitudinal channel therein, an operatoroperative block providing a head element, the segmental tubular actuating member projecting from a first surface of the block of the head element, the block of the head element being adapted to be manually manipulated by the operator so that the actuating member may be slidably positioned by the operator into the channel in the connector in a longitudinal sense to secure between said resilient arcuate sidewall portions of said actuating member the electrical wire conductor and the attached end portion of the contactor, the segmental tubular actuating member being adapted to be thereafter pivotally positioned by a manual manipulation of the operator-operative head element in another angular sense to cause an arcuate sidewall portion of the actuating member to selec tively actuate the spring detent so as to release the contactor from the locked relation in the channel of said connector, the head element including a second channel provided in a second side surface of the block and extending in longitudinal alignment with the first channel defined by the arcuate sidewall portions of the actuating member, and a third channel provided in a third surface of the block and extending in an angular relation from the second channel, the second and third channels being so arranged for gripping a portion of the wire conductor upon said portion of the wire conductor being received in said second and third channels and bent by the operator over the block of the head element so that the operator may effectively grip such portion of the wire conductor, and the head element being adapted to be positioned by the operator during the gripping of such portion of the wire conductor so as to simultaneously position the actuating member in an opposite longitudinal sense so as to slidably withdraw the actuating member from the connector channel while applying a force through the wire conductor to the contactor so as to extract from the channel of the electrical connector the electrical wire conductor and the released contactor secured between the arcuate resilient sidewall portions of said actuating member.

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